Great Plains gets better with age

Great Plains Manufacturing recently celebrated 25 years in business. The company's original product line from the 1970s has been growing to include planting, seeding, spraying and tilling equipment. Three of this year's new offerings grabbed the attention of our Team FIN farmers at shows ranging from Husker Harvest in Nebraska to the Ohio Farm Science Show.

40-ft. seeder

Plant 40 ft. of solid-seeded soybeans or 16 rows of twin-row corn with this Great Plains folding precision seeding system. Though it plants wide, it folds up to only 13 ft. 10 in. for transport. The flexible design swivels at the front of the seed boxes to allow the unit to hinge as it navigates rough terrain or terraces. The seed drive features a Veris Technologies variable population control console for full control of seeding population from inside the cab. The system will singulate soybeans, corn, milo and cotton. Or it will volumetrically meter wheat, rice, barley, oats, rye and other cereal grains. No sprocket changes are required when switching between crops. Price ranges from $100,000 to $125,000.

Vertical tillage tool

This TurboTill machine gets its name from the two ranks of fluted Turbo coulters designed to slice through surface residue without “hair pinning.” The flutes enter the soil perpendicular to the ground for maximum cutting performance with less required down pressure. Flutes exit parallel to the soil surface for a controlled soil release. The TurboTill can be used for residue management in the fall or in the spring to expose soil and enhance seedbed warming. The implement can be used to help dry out fields that are too soggy to plant, or when planters cannot penetrate hard, crusty soil. Prices start at $27,000 without a harrow. Adding a harrow costs $3,000 to $5,000 more.

Front-fold spray boom

Great Plains has added two new models to its TS series of equipment, including a 1,000-gal. trailer sprayer equipped with an 80- or 90-ft. front-fold boom. The boom is capable of spraying at either 60 ft. or the full 90 ft., depending on application. The fully suspended boom floats over terraces, ridges and ground contours. It folds hydraulically in five sections to a transport width of 12 ft. Standard features include a Raven 450 automatic rate controller, wet boom plumbing and triple nozzle bodies. Prices start at $28,000.